Shredded Beef with Green Beans and Mushrooms in Bistek Sauce

From the way they look to the things they like, my two daughters are indeed different in many ways like most siblings are. While my eldest got my natural curly hair, my youngest has straight hair like the hubs. My eldest got my fair complexion while my youngest got her dad's medium skin tone. While my eldest hates pink and girly girl stuff, my youngest is so into it! Though both of them love school, my eldest loves to curl up with a good book but hates Math, while my youngest can sit and do Math problems all day but gets upset when it's reading time. Unless told so, my eldest won't help in the kitchen while my youngest is always so eager to help and considers herself as my sous chef. When it comes to food, my eldest would rather stick to burgers, chicken nuggets, pizza, fried chicken  and other food she's used to while my youngest would try anything I serve on our table. I can go on the whole day telling you how different they are from each other...but when it comes to how they are alike, I honestly can only think of a few. Aside from their being so sweet and loving, both of them love to sing and draw. They love dogs, playing at the park, flying kites together and building sand castles at the beach. And as far as food is concerned, both of them just couldn't resist anything with mushrooms! My eldest can be so picky but whenever I serve any dish with mushrooms in it, she can never say no! This Shredded Beef with Green Beans and Mushrooms is an example of that...

Bratwurst a la Bistek Tagalog with Jalapeño Peppers

Only two more days before the big game, and I know how a lot of Americans are gearing up for their Super Bowl party. Growing up in the Philippines where people don't really give much attention to football, I admit that I am not a football fan...but I must say that I really enjoy watching the Super Bowl! With all the funny commercials and the amazing artist/s performing for the halftime show, who wouldn't??? 

If you are hosting a party this Sunday or have been asked to bring something to it, and you want something new, this Bratwurst a la Bistek Tagalog with Jalapeño Peppers that I'm sharing with you today is a wonderful option. It's Bratwurst (German sausage) cooked like Bistek Tagalog which is a favorite Filipino beef dish wherein  beef is marinated and cooked in soy sauce and calamansi (Filipino lime) then garnished with lots of caramelized onion rings. 

This simple yet great tasting recipe is a good twist to the favorite grilled bratwurst. The wonderful combination of lime and soy sauce plus the mild kick from the Jalapeño pepper definitely bring bratwursts to a new level. It's easy to prepare and doesn't require much ingredients. Just like the classic Bistek, we love this with rice, but this will also work so well with your favorite rolls. 

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! 

Bistek Tagalog

Bistek Tagalog or Filipino Beefsteak is a very delicious beef recipe that is so easy to prepare and doesn’t require much ingredients. Basically, you can cook this with just beef, soy sauce, kalamansi(a small citrus fruit that is very popular in the Philippines) and onions. But to enhance the taste, I add pineapple juice to the marinade, and because kalamansi is not so common here in Texas, I use lemon instead. For this recipe, you can use any of the following beef cuts: chuck, flank, skirt or sirloin steaks. Most of the time, I use beef chuck. As long as you tenderize your beef well enough, the type of cut won't really matter.

You should really try this simple yet great tasting recipe! You won’t regret it!

Prep Time: 2 hours & 30 mins          Cook Time: ~45 mins           Servings: 6                 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef sirloin (or other cuts like chuck, flank or skirt), thinly sliced and tenderized
• 2 pcs. lemon, squeezed and strained (or 5-6 pcs. kalamansi)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves for marinade & 3 cloves for sautéing)
• 2 large red onions, sliced into rings (you can also use white or yellow onions. I just prefer red onions because of its very sharp flavor)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• salt & pepper to taste